Union Minister for Fisheries , Animal Husbandry and Dairying , Shri Parshottam Rupala today launched the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative and World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for One Health to enhance India’s preparedness and response to potential animal pandemics, in line with the One Health approach. This initiative aims to enhance India’s preparedness and response to animal pandemics, with a focus on zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to both animal and human health. This initiative will help to improve veterinary services and infrastructure, disease surveillance capabilities, early detection and response, build the capacity of animal health professionals, and awareness among farmers through community outreach. The event also saw the launch of the World Bank-funded project on “Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH)” that aims at creating an ecosystem for a better animal health management system using the One Health approach covering five (05) states in India. Speaking on the occasion , Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Cabinet Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said, “India is home to a diverse animal species, and the livestock sector plays a critical role in the country’s economy and food security. However, we are also vulnerable to threats posed by emerging and zoonotic diseases. The Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative is a proactive step to protect our animal resources and ensure the safety and health of our people. The Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative and the World Bank-funded “Animal Health System Support for One Health” are the comprehensive efforts to address animal pandemics in a holistic manner. By strengthening our animal health systems and implementing the One Health approach, we can better prevent and control zoonotic diseases, which not only impact the health and welfare of our animals but also have significant economic impact and human health concerns.”
